Illuser
by The Sara Panda
Summary: [AU] If things went differently.
1. Chapter 1

Kharl frowned, staring at the huge bulk of a body before him. Left Bird fluttered its wings lazily on his shoulder.

Garfakcy was over to the side, drawing out the blood with a syringe from a small vial and putting it into a smaller tube. He stepped around all the junk on the floor, stopping in front of a machine that was humming gently. He pushed the tube of blood into a cylindrical opening, closed it, and pushed a few buttons on the machine to get what he was looking for.

The machine whirred and clanked, a couple of words showing up on the monitor high above them. Garfakcy frowned, turning back to his master. "This sample is _definitely_ the Dragon Lord's blood."

Kharl nodded absently, scrutinizing the body in front of him. "It should be enough. The body's already dead, but check just in case."

Garfakcy tapped a few more buttons. The machine rattled alarmingly, shaking. Garfakcy yelped, jumping to the back of the machine and wrestling one of Kharl's socks out of the gears.

Kharl didn't even blink. He sort-of stared vaguely into the distance contemplating something life changing, for sure.

Garfakcy panted a little, eyes wide.

The machine stopped shaking and went about its business.

"Kharl!" Garfakcy snapped, exasperatedly. "What have I told you about picking things up and putting them away after you're done with them?"

Kharl turned around then, simpering and wringing his hands pathetically. "Weeeeell . . ."

The machine dinged.

Kharl gave a little cough-blush combo and waved a hand. "Would you get that?"

Garfakcy sighed, walking around to the right side of the machine to pick up the tube filled with red liquid. "Happy?"

"Yes." Kharl had on his psycho smirk. Garfakcy knew what that meant.

He glanced around the room, making sure he knew exactly where the broom, bucket, and mop were.

* * *

Kharl raised his eyebrows at the sight before him. "My greatest creation as of yet." Garfakcy looked a little put out at that comment. "Too bad it's for Nadil," Kharl mourned, a pathetic expression on his face as he looked at the ice dog before him, now looking distinctly more human (or yokai, as the case may be).

Garfakcy frowned. "Didn't he want it to look more . . . female-ish?"

". . . I _knew_ I forgot something!"

Garfakcy nearly had a heart attack. "_WHAT_!"

"Oh _relax_. You've been so uptight lately! I have the spell all planned out, I just got sidetracked when Left Bird showed me an interesting specimen of tree that--"

"_You didn't make it yet_?" Garfakcy yelled, panicking.

". . . Not exactly, no."

Garfakcy groaned.

"Don't worry, all the spells for the different parts are in there," he waved in the vague direction of at least twenty different doors on the side wall, "being put together as we speak."

"By who?"

Left Bird abruptly flew up. Kharl smiled before a puff of smoke and a loud bang filled the whole room as he exploded.

Garfakcy blinked. ". . . Did Kharl copy himself again?"

That was, quite obviously, a rhetorical question.

The real Kharl exited one of the rooms, dust and Right Bird following in his wake. "Did I complete it yet?"

Garfakcy coughed and waved away the smoke in front of his face, nodding.

"Good." He held up a pitcher full of a clear liquid.

"What's that?"

"Water."

Garfakcy fell over.

"If you're wondering about the spell . . ." Kharl patted a section of the robe in front of his heart, "I have it all taken care of." He chuckled. "Lykouleon is going to have a hissy-fit once he finds out about Zul, if he ever does."

Garfakcy smirked.

Kharl calmed himself, gliding towards the body.

"Is the demon inside?" He dipped his head towards a nondescript looking black jar, covered in gray and blue swirls that were actually a powerful seal that would put anyone inside in a hallucinogenic so that whatever was sealed generally didn't realize it for a good, long while, and then it took even longer to actually get out. There was no lock that could not be got out of, in Kharl's opinion, but this one came pretty close.

Garfakcy nodded, walking around the table.

"Good."

* * *

It was a tough process, trying to get all the pieces to fit just right; a lost art form only one (the Great and Wonderful Alchemist known to a few as Kharl and to many others as a competent Renkin Wizard and author of the Demon Bible) had the knowledge to use. Illuser's body was male, but Nadil said he specifically wanted a female. (Something about a witch, but Kharl hadn't really been paying attention at that point, too busy planning and mentally listing the things he would need.)

Kharl had to mix the body with a sex-changing potion, causing many explosions before he got it right so that no harm would come to the demon soon to be dwelling inside of the body or the body itself, with the added Dragon Lord's blood. Without that it wouldn't have been nearly as problematic. Then he had to strap down the body into an awkward position. He carefully planted the demon inside, though "planted" does not do justice to the complete elegance of movement he used when he placed an unwilling demon in an equally unwilling body.

Even dead, Illuser's body rebelled against something that could hurt his friend. Kharl could respect that, but it didn't change his mind or his actions.

Now all that was left was to wait.

* * *

Disclaimer: Dragon Knights is not mine to own. The author is Mineko Ookami. I am writing this for pleasure, and no profit is being made. No suing. Thank you.

AN: Yes, this is an AU. Think of it as starting around the time the demon who took over Illuser's body was rampaging all across Dusis. Except the demon isn't raging across the country because Kharl is tweaking it at Nadil's request. As to why he's listening to Nadil, I'll leave that to later. (I actually have the scene planned out. Yes, be shocked.)

No updates 'til I get farther into writing this. I'm trying something I don't think I've seen yet. If I'm wrong, tell me. How do you like it? What isn't working for you so far? Were Garfakcy and/or Kharl out of character in a way that made you want to vomit?


	2. Chapter 2

"My best creation," Kharl repeated semi mockingly some time later. He sniffed, dabbing at his eyes with a spare handkerchief. He didn't seem to notice the twitching eyebrow Garfakcy had suddenly developed. "Look at her! Think of the planning, the time we spent! And it's beautiful!" He clapped his hands and squealed.

"So you really think it's alright?" Garfakcy didn't bother to point out that they hadn't really planned out anything definitively, more like Kharl did some of his mad-scientist act until something came to him and he started ordering Garfakcy around. He poked the shaggy head and blinked when red eyes snapped open to stare at him.

He stared back. Lightning flashed between them.

". . ."

". . ."

"Ah, awake already?" Kharl's voice cut through their impromptu staring session. "You're so stubborn." He smiled as red orbs, seemingly glowing, fixated themselves on him while the naked body lay prostrate on the table, wrists and ankles bound. "But enough about that." He waved it away with a physical hand, as though it were inconsequential information. "I'm Kharl, the alchemist, and this is Garfakcy, my human assistant." The stare didn't waver. "Who are you?"

The mouth opened. Closed. A look of confusion passed over her features. "I . . . don't know." She frowned at the squeaky voice that exited her body.

"Well, may I suggest a name for you?" Kharl asked kindly, deciding it was safe and loosening the restraints. The girl sat up and rubbed her wrists.

"Sure." She reached down to do the same to her ankles.

"How about Illuser?"

She sent him a vaguely confused look. "Okay."

Garfakcy looked at Kharl sharply. "You planned this, didn't you?" he muttered.

Illuser smiled at him blankly. "What?"

"I was talking to Kharl." He snarled at her. She didn't seem to notice.

"No. It seems to be just a side effect." Garfakcy was certain that Kharl was lying. Kharl reached for her hand to tug the willing girl upright. Her legs wobbled and she fell down. They both proceeded to frown at her legs. "Are you feeling alright?"

"My legs feel tingly, but it's going away." She blinked up at him cutely. "Am I dying?"

Kharl glomped her and proceeded to snuggle his face into her hair, cooing and pressing her face into his chest. It didn't bother him that Illuser was struggling to get away, nor that Garfakcy was acting like he wanted to kill her. That boy was _so_ jealous. It was kind-of endearing. "You're so _cute_!" He actively let her go when Garfakcy reached into a pouch to get out his ash. "But, dear, no, you're not dying. Your legs are asleep."

"When will they wake up?"

"Soon."

"Oh. . . ." Her eyes trailed over to Garfakcy. "Where am I?"

"My mansion."

"It's more like a castle," Garfakcy corrected. He stared right back at Illuser with narrowed eyes. She twisted her head to the left in a distorted attempt to cock her head at him. "What?" he snapped.

"How old are you?" She tapped her foot against the ground, feeling rushing back to that area of her body.

"Older than you," he sneered at her.

There was a pregnant pause. ". . . Is that, like, really old, or just kinda old?"

Garfakcy opened his mouth to say something probably Not Very Nice when Kharl tugged on the girls arm and half dragged her away until she found her footing. "Technically, you're younger," he reminded Garfakcy. "But I do commend you for separating them in your mind. I should start, too." Garfakcy glowered. "Now, Illuser, I think you should meet some people."

Illuser snapped out of her pondering on what they meant. "Will they be my friends?"

"I'd like to think so."

He introduced Left Bird and Right Bird. It went a little something like this:

_Kharl: Here's Left Bird, and this here is Right Bird._

_Illuser: Hello. It's very nice to meet you._

The Birds didn't say anything back, but they rubbed their heads against her's. She scratched their heads and patted their necks.

As Illuser was "making friends", Garfakcy turned to Kharl. "We have a few days left. What do we do with her until then?"

Kharl sighed contentedly, crossing his arms and leaning back on a pillar. "Enjoy this time for as long as we can." Kharl's face changed and he let out a low sob. "They grow up so fast. . . ."

As Kharl reminisced the few minutes he'd spent with Illuser so far, Garfakcy decided to do something productive.

Illuser decided she wanted to help.

Kharl decided that was a good idea and left them to it after handing over some clothes. Garfakcy was annoyed, but couldn't do anything about it.

* * *

"Okay, to start with, do you know what a broom is?"

Illuser frowned at the stick with a bundle of other sticks at one end that had been placed in her hand. "No."

Garfakcy's mouth twisted in a displeased way. He took the broom from her and demonstrated how to sweep properly. He handed back the broom and stood back to watch.

Illuser frowned in concentration, scrunching her face up. She slowly turned the broom around so that the bundle of sticks were facing the floor and, even more slowly (Garfakcy was tapping his foot), lowered it to the ground. She moved it one way and then the other. Dust swirled up.

"Good." Garfakcy nodded, annoyed that he'd have to explain/show her how to use the cleaning tools and that he had to associate with her at all. Kharl was _his_. Garfakcy's whole face twitched. "Now, see that huge pile of junk in the corner?"

After looking at him strangely, Illuser nodded.

"Don't touch anything in it. A lot of wires and buttons will come loose or fall off if you move anything too suddenly. But that pile of junk over _there_ you need to organize and sweep under after you've put everything away." Garfakcy walked over to the pile of junk, Illuser trailing after him and stumbling over the pants he'd made her put on. She fell when the apron tangled in her legs.

"Okay, you see this piece of metal?" Garfakcy held up a piece of copper that was turning green. Illuser blinked up at him and nodded, giving Garfakcy some pleasure in the fact that he was _finally_ taller than someone he actually had to be around for any length of time. "This goes into that bag over there." He pointed. Illuser stood and followed his hand with her eyes to an demon-skin bag that hung on a doorknob. "But if it's a part of something, or, actually, anything that looks like it's connected to something else fairly solidly, it goes over there next to the huge pile of junk, including live experiments."

Garfakcy explained, as best he could, what to put where, how to dust, how to wash, how to scrub floors so that the dirt came off instead of grinding into the stone, to wear a mask at all times while cleaning to keep the dust out of her airways, to wear gloves in case of sharp things that she didn't see right away, and where the soap and water were.

Then he went over to the huge pile of junk and left Illuser alone.

Illuser pulled up the handkerchief that had been resting around her neck and spent a few minutes watching Garfakcy literally attack the unclean debris with a methodical sort-of style that spoke of a long life of cleaning.

Illuser turned to look at the nearest metal contraption. She swiped a covered finger across the surface and unearthed a small streak of brilliantly shiny silver. She stared at all the dust-covered parts of unbuilt machines or half-remembered ideas for creatures in glass cases or metal-covered cylinders.

She started off with a rag and a bucket of soapy water, taking each part and cleaning it as best she could, although sometimes there was still dirt on some parts that seemed ingrained into the very whatever-it-was-made-of. After she was done with each she either carried, dragged, or pushed the object over to the spot it was supposed to be in, except for a few pieces that she couldn't figure out.

Finally she swiped at her eyes, yawning. When she looked around Garfakcy didn't seem to be anywhere. Her broom fell from her grip as she sank down to her knees, curling up and falling on to her side. She reached out and tugged the broom closer.

She fell asleep at the boom in the not-so-distant distance.

* * *

"I can't believe you destroyed that room," Garfakcy muttered in a sulky voice.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Kharl said cheerfully, stroking Left Bird's head.

Garfakcy shifted his grip on the glass container he was carrying (with the fetus of a human inside) and argued, "It was sealed with the best Indestructible Wards!"

"How the standards have fallen," Kharl sighed despondently. "By the way, where is Illuser by now, do you think?"

"She's in the storage room, cleaning." Kharl frowned at him. "Don't worry; I put a ring of ash around the important stuff, so she won't be able to damage anything."

Kharl's frown turned into a disapproving face. "Garfakcy," he said in a warning tone.

"It won't hurt her, just break a few bones at worst. She'll heal in no time."

Kharl muttered about jealousy as he hurried to Illuser, pausing in the doorway. Garfakcy, panting along behind him and gasping disagreements, ran into the back of his legs and fell over, the glass case crushing him.

"Aw, how cute!" Kharl cooed.

Garfakcy may or may-not have made a noise that was a disagreement, but he struggled up to his feet and looked around the great expanse of Kharl's clothes anyway.

Illuser was laying on her side of the floor, which was still dirty. She was curled up around her broom which was acting as a pillow, drooling on her sleeve.

Garfakcy asked, "Cute?"

Kharl nodded and glided over to the girl. "Of course." He carefully bent down and picked her up, so smoothly that she did not stir except to snuggle closer. "Look into her face and tell me she's not cute." He turned to face his assistant again.

Garfakcy looked. "She's not cute."

Kharl laughed.

* * *

AN: The next chapter I'm not so sure about, so bear with me. If anything is too non-canon, tell me. I'm mostly guessing, since Mineko Ookami leaves some stuff vague. But it is an AU, so things will be different regardless.

And I am _so_ taking liberty of certain facts. I can't help myself, it seems.

And, well, the next wait will probably be longer. . . . I'm still working on the fourth chapter for this, but I thought I should update.

Thanks to: Immortal-Sacrifice, Firehedgehog, and adfg for reviewing.


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